ai4bharat/Pralekha huggingface dataset:
Ministry of Agriculture &
Farmers Welfare
First Advance Estimates of production of major Kharif crops for 2019-20
The First Advance Estimates of production of major Kharif crops for 2019-20 have been released by the Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers Welfare today. The assessment of production of different crops is based on the feedback received from States and validated with information available from other sources. The estimated production of various crops as per the First Advance Estimates for 2019-20 vis-à-vis the comparative estimates for the years 2005-06 onwards is enclosed.
2. As per First Advance Estimates, the estimated production of major crops during Kharif 2019-20 is as under:
- Foodgrains – 140.57 million tonnes.
- Rice – 100.35 million tonnes.
- Nutri / Coarse Cereals – 32.00 million tonnes.
- Maize – 19.89 million tonnes.
- Pulses – 8.23 million tonnes.
- Tur – 3.54 million tonnes.
- Oilseeds – 22.39 million tonnes.
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- Soyabean – 13.50 million tonnes
- Groundnut – 6.31 million tonnes
- Cotton – 32.27 million bales 
- Jute & Mesta - 9.96 million bales 
- Sugarcane – 377.77 million tonnes
3. The cumulative rainfall during this year’s southwest monsoon season upto mid-September has been 4% higher than Long Period Average . The production of most of the crops for the agricultural year 2019-20 has been estimated higher than their normal production. However, these estimates would undergo revision based on further feedback from the states.
4. As per First Advance Estimates for 2019-20 , total foodgrain production in the country is estimated at 140.57million tonnes.The production during 2019-20is higher by 8.44million tonnes than theaverage foodgrain production of previous five years’ .
5. Total production of kharifrice during 2019-20 is estimated at 100.35million tonnes.It is higher by 6.80million tonnes than the five years’ average production of 93.55million tonnes.
6. Production of kharifnutri / coarse cerealsis estimated at 32.00million tonnes.It is higherby 1.01million tonnes than the production of 30.99 million tonnes achieved during 2018-19.
7. Totalkharifpulses production during 2019-20 is estimated at 8.23 million tonnes. It is higherby 1.00 million tones than the five years’ average production of 7.23 million tonnes.
8. Total kharifoilseeds production in the country during 2019-20 is estimated at 22.39 million tonnes which is higherby 1.11 million tonnesthan the production of 21.28 million tonnes during 2018-19.The production of oilseeds during 2019-20 is also higher by 2.17 million tonnes than the average oilseeds production.
9. Total production of sugarcane in the country during 2019-20 is estimated at 377.77 million tonnes.The production of sugarcane during 2019-20is higher by 27.99 million tonnes than the average sugarcane production of 349.78 million tonnes.
Production of cotton estimated at 32.27 million bales  is higher by 3.56 million bales than the production of 28.71 million bales during 2018-19. Production of jute &mesta estimated at 9.96 million bales  is higher than the production during 2018-19.
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Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
HLL pays Rs. 122.47 crores as dividend to Government of India for Financial Year 2021-22
Dr Mansukh Mandaviya congratulates HLL for their achievement and appreciates their efforts during pandemic
Financial discipline and responsible behaviour are key aspects for the sustainability of PSUs: Dr Mansukh Mandaviya
HLL Lifecare Limited , a mini-ratna public sector enterprise under Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, paid a dividend of Rs 122.47 Crore to the Health Ministry for financial year 2021-22. The cheque was presented to Dr Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare by Shri Beji George, Chairman & Managing Director, HLL in presence Dr. Bharati Pravin Pawar, MoS at a function held at Nirman Bhavan, here today.
Expressing happiness at the record turnover of Rs 35,668 crore and a profit before tax of Rs.551.81 Cr of HLL during the financial year 2021–22 and appreciating their support during the pandemic, Dr Mandaviya said, “HLL has played an important role in the procurement and distribution of emergency medical supplies supporting the Union Health Ministry for Covid– 19 pandemic management. As a nodal agency for procurement and supply of emergency medical items for COVID -19 pandemic management, it has enabled real time management of the crisis”.
He further noted that though PSUs were established with great vision, their performance has not always been satisfactory. Expressed concerns over sustainability of PSUs, he pointed out that “financial discipline and responsible behaviour are key aspects for the sustainability of PSUs.”
Dr Bharati Pravin Pawar, Union Minister of State congratulated HLL for their achievement and also lauded its efforts during the pandemic.
Shri Beji George, Chairman & Managing Director, HLL conveyed his sincere thanks and acknowledgment for the co-operation, for reposing confidence in HLL and support extended by various departments of Government of India, particularly Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.
HLL was incorporated on 1st March 1966 to produce contraceptives to support Government’s family planning programme. While focusing and expanding the core areas i.e., reproductive healthcare, HLL diversified into other healthcare segments like hospital products, hospital infrastructure management, medical equipment procurement consultancy, diagnostic services, retailing of pharmaceuticals etc.
Shri Rajesh Bhushan, Union Health Secretary, senior officials of ministry and HLL were present during the occasion.
Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship
Promoting Women Entrepreneurship
Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship  has taken various initiatives towards promotion of women entrepreneurship across the Country. However, the MSDE has not conducted any study on the challenges being faced by women entrepreneurs in the country.
In order to promote women entrepreneurship, the details of the various initiatives taken by MSDE are as under:
‘Economic Empowerment of Women Entrepreneurs and Start-ups by Women’  project is being supported by Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit  on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development  in partnership with the MSDE to improve the framework conditions for women-led enterprises in India. The project aims to pilot incubation and acceleration programmes for women micro-entrepreneurs, enabling them to start new businesses and scale up existing enterprises in the States of Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh and 8 North Eastern States of the country.
Under the title of ‘Her&Now’, the WEE project has also been running a film and media campaign to share the stories of successful women entrepreneurs and to foster a positive mindset change on gender roles and norms in society. Till now, over 900 women entrepreneurs have been supported under the project under both incubation and acceleration support programmes.
Entrepreneurship Development in Six Holy Cities, a project of the MSDE, aims to catalyse local entrepreneurial activities through involvement of potential & existing entrepreneurs, unemployed youth, college dropouts, youth from backward community etc. The Project is being implemented in Puri, Bodh Gaya, Kollur, Varanasi, Haridwar and Pandharpur. The total number of beneficiaries trained under the project is 7,185 out of which 4,535 were women.
MSDE implemented PM YUVA Pilot Project  towards creating an enabling ecosystem through entrepreneurship education, training, advocacy and easy access to entrepreneurship network. The scheme focuses on students/trainees and alumni coming out from skilling ecosystem {i.e. Industrial Training Institutes , Polytechnics, Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendras  and Jan Sikshan Sansthans }. The scheme was implemented in 10 States and 2 Union Territories, namely, Assam, Bihar, Delhi, Kerala, Meghalaya, Maharashtra, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal. Although this programme did not specifically focus on women but conscious efforts were made to ensure substantial participation of women in the programme. The total number of beneficiaries covered under the project is 63,255, out of which 24,398 were women.
This information was given by the Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Shri Rajeev Chandrasekhar in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha today.
Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship
Shri Dharmendra Pradhan chairs the 3rd meeting of the steering committee of National Skill Development Mission
Shri Dharmendra Pradhan calls for creating greater synergy among skill development efforts by all ministries
Key Highlights:
Discussions centered around skill development schemes, skill gap analysis and skill mapping, connecting Indian youth to global opportunities, developing curriculum to reflect emerging trends and creating synergy between different portals related to skill development
Union Education and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship Minister Shri Dharmendra Pradhan chaired the 3rd meeting of the steering committee of National Skill Development Mission. Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Shri Rajeev Chandrasekhar and senior officials of the ministry attended the meeting. In the meeting Shri Pradhan discussed the progress made and the roadmap ahead in the skill development efforts.
The Minister discussed various issues such as creating convergence of skill development schemes, skill gap analysis and skill mapping, connecting Indian youth to global opportunities, developing curriculum to reflect emerging trends and creating synergy between different portals related to skill development.
Shri Pradhan called for creating greater synergy among skill development schemes of all ministries, spending on skill development by all stakeholders, further aligning our skill development efforts with market realities and fast-tracking implementation to create impact-at-scale.
Ministry of Corporate Affairs
Cabinet approves signing of Memorandum of Understanding between the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India  and The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales 
The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has approved the signing of Memorandum of Understanding between the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India  and The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales .
The MoU is to provide recognition of the qualification, training of each others members and admit the members in good standing by prescribing a bridging mechanism on the prevailing terms and conditions. The Parties to this MoU will provide each other with the information on material changes to their qualifying/admission requirements, CPD policy, exemptions and any other relevant matters.
ICAI collaboration with ICAEW will bring a lot of professional opportunities for Indian CAs in UK and also for Indian CAs who are looking for the global professinal opportunities in UK.
Ministry of Home Affairs
765 persons arrested in 190 cases of stone pelting since removal of Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir
950 ceasefire violations reported along LoC from across the border
School attendance stands at 99.7% as exams are on in J&K; tourist footfalls gain momentum
The Centre today informed that since the scrapping of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir on 5th August 2019 till date, 765 persons have been arrested in 190 cases registered relating to stone pelting and law & order. From 1st January, 2019 to 4th August, 2019, 361 such cases were registered.
The Government has initiated multipronged policies to check the stone pelting menace and has succeeded in curbing it to the extent that a large number of troublemakers, instigators and mob mobilizers have been identified and various preventive measures have been taken against them which include detention under PSA and preventive arrests. Investigation has revealed that various separatist organisations and activists which are part of Hurriyat have been behind the incidents of stone pelting in Kashmir valley. NIA has chargesheeted 18 persons in the terror funding cases so far.
In a related question, the Government informed that 950 incidents of ceasefire violations along Line of Control from across the border in Jammu and Kashmir were reported during August, 2019 to October, 2019.
On the question of average attendance in Kashmir schools since August 5, the Government said that at present the attendance of students stands at 99.7% during the ongoing examinations. Initially the attendance of the students was thin which gradually picked up.
The Government also informed that it has not issued advisory for tourists in Jammu and Kashmir recently and that a total of 34,10,219 tourists, including 12,934 foreign tourists, visited Jammu & Kashmir during last 6 months and an income of Rs. 25.12 crore has been earned through tourism during this period.
These were stated by the Minister of State for Home Affairs, Shri G. Kishan Reddy in written reply to questions in the Lok Sabha today.
Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways
India’s First Lighthouse Festival begins in Goa from Tomorrow
Shri Sarbananda Sonowal and Chief Minister of Goa Shri Pramod Sawant to inaugurate the historic festival at Fort Aguada Lighthouse
The Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways and Ayush, Shri Sarbananda Sonowal is going to inaugurate India’s First Lighthouse Festival from the Fort Aguada Lighthouse in Panjim, Goa tomorrow. The three days festival, beginning 23rd September and ending on 25th September, will be celebrated across all the lighthouses in the country in an effort to transform these historic spots as tourist destinations. The inaugural session will also be attended by the Chief Minister of Goa, Pramod Sawant, the Minister of State for Ports, Shipping & Waterways and Tourism, Shri Shripad Naik as well as Tourism Minister of Goa, Shri Rohan Khaunte among others.
Shri Sonowal, earlier launched a campaign ‘Lighthouse Heritage Tourism’ to transform 75 historic lighthouses into Tourism Spots. The historic lighthouses are being renovated with adequate facilities to act as tourist spots. The festival is logical outcome of this campaign by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways  to transform 75 historic lighthouses across India into tourism spots. This is in line with the visionary approach of the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi to transform India’s distinctive lighthouses into captivating tourism sites. The initiative aims to showcase the rich culture, significance, and allure of these magnificent structures whereby they can propel prospect of tourism and power local economy.
Speaking on the occasion, the Minister said, “It is a moment of great happiness for everyone in the team at the Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways as we begin this historic Lighthouse festival across the country from tomorrow. Under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi ji, we remain committed to the cause of nation building. Lighthouses, that were long ignored from any potential value creation beyond their role as navigational tool, were identified by Prime Minister Narendra Modiji to be developed into a touristic point of view and allow them to become lynchpin of local tourism and, at the same time, generate income for the country. Modi ji shared this vision with all of us during the 75th episode of Mann Ki Baat and we are happy that this wonderful idea has now become a reality. While ships continue to be guided for safe sailing by these lighthouses, they will now offer their solace to people to relish the magnificent beauty of nature.”
India’s first ever Lighthouse Festival will be held at the historic Fort Aguada in Goa from 23rd-25th September, 2023. This would be a three day gala event in carnival style with local artists, dance troupes, food and culinary stalls, music concerts and similar activities to attract common people to Lighthouses. The festival also witness historians, archaeologist, cultural anthropologist and many other people with interest in history, culture and society participate in intriguing discussions around our marine history during this event.
Ministry of Defence
MoD signs contract with GSL for construction of two Pollution Control Vessels for Indian Coast Guard
Ministry of Defence signed a contract with Goa Shipyard Ltd  for construction of two Pollution Control Vessels  for Indian Coast Guard  at a cost of about Rs 583 crore, on June 22, 2021. These Special Role ships will be indigenously designed, developed and built by GSL. The acquisition is under ‘Buy Indian - Indigenously Designed Developed & Manufactured ’, the highest priority category for defence capital procurements. The acquisition will significantly augment the capability of ICG to respond to Oil spill disasters at sea and also enhance Pollution Response  efficiency. These two vessels are scheduled for delivery by November 2024 and May 2025 respectively.
At present, ICG has three PCVs in its fleet at Mumbai, Visakhapatnam and Porbander to carry out dedicated Pollution Surveillance, Oil spill monitoring/Response operations in Indian EEZ and around islands. The new PCVs planned are for pollution response requirements in Eastern and the ecologically sensitive Andaman & Nicobar Regions. The vessels, with capability of operating helicopter onboard, will have many advanced features with modern PR equipment of niche technology for containing, recovering and dispersing of marine oil spill.
While meeting the objectives of AatmaNirbhar Bharat Abhiyan, the contract would further boost the indigenous shipbuilding capability and increase employment opportunities in the shipbuilding sector that involves around 200 MSME vendors.
ABB/Nampi/DK/Savvy/ADA
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Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution
Outstanding Sugarcane Dues
The State–wise outstanding cane price dues of sugarcane farmers against sugar mills during current sugar season 2018-19 and last three sugar seasons as on 17.07.2019 is at Annexure.
Surplus sugar production over domestic consumption requirement had led to subdued sugar prices stressing the liquidity position of the sugar mills and leading to build up of cane price arrears of farmers. To improve the liquidity position of the sugar mills enabling them to clear cane price arrears of farmers, Minimum Selling Price  of sugar was fixed at Rs.29/kg w.e.f 07.06.2018 which has been revised to Rs.31/kg w.e.f 14.02.2019.
Minimum Selling Price  of sugar has been implemented simultaneously along with the imposition of mill-wise stockholding limits so that a level playing field is provided to all the sugar mills. Keeping in view the domestic demand/consumption requirements, sugar mills are allowed to sell sugar in the domestic market in accordance with their allocated monthly quota. Apart from the sale of sugar for domestic consumption, sugar mills are also free to export sugar from the country.
This information was given in a written reply by the Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, Shri Danve Raosaheb Dadarao in the Lok Sabha today.
Prime Minister's Office
PM to address ‘Utkarsh Samaroh’ in Bharuch on 12th May
Programme marks celebration of 100% saturation of four key schemes of the state government in the district
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will address ‘Utkarsh Samaroh’ in Bharuch, Gujarat on 12th May, 2022 at 10:30 AM via video conferencing. The programme will mark the celebration of 100% saturation of four key schemes of the state government in the district, which will help provide timely financial assistance to those in need.
The district administration of Bharuch carried out ‘Utkarsh Initiative’ drive from 1st January to 31st March this year, with the aim to ensure complete coverage of schemes providing assistance to widows, elderly and destitute citizens. A total of 12,854 beneficiaries were identified across the four schemes viz. Ganga Swaroopa Aarthik Sahay Yojana, Indira Gandhi Vrudh Sahay Yojana, Niradhar Vrudh Aarthik Sahay Yojana and Rashtriy Kutumb Sahay Yojana.
During the drive, taluka-wise Whatsapp helpline numbers were announced to collect information about those who were not receiving benefits of the scheme. Utkarsh camps were organized in all villages and wards of municipality areas of the district, wherein applicants who provided necessary documents were given on the spot approval. Incentives were also given to Utkarsh assistants to further facilitate the drive.
Ministry of Jal Shakti
De-Silting of Rivers
Inland Waterways Authority of India , on the basis of analysis of 25 years of data of river Yamuna has informed that, in general, there has been bed level changes in deep channel in the range of 1 to 2 meter which include erosion as well as deposition. Major changes in bed profile have been observed in the years of high floods. Based on a Detailed Project Report completed in January 2020, IWAI has assessed the minimum depth of river Yamuna from Jagatpur in Delhi to the confluence of the Ganga and Yamuna rivers at Sangam, Prayagraj  which is summarized as under:
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Depth
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Less than 1.2
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1.2 to 1.4
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1.5 to 1.7
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1.8 to 2.0
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More than 2
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Stretch of river in km out of 1089 km
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614.3
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48.1
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36.2
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44.3
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346.1
Erosion and deposition of silt is a natural process in alluvial rivers. Rivers pickup, carry and drop silt load as per their regime conditions i.e. discharge in the river slope, morphology, nature of silt etc. The issue of desilting of rivers has been considered by Government since long and in this context a multi-disciplinary Committee headed by former Chairman, Central Water Commission in 2002  had studied the siltation pattern in few rivers in India. The Committee has opined that large scale desilting of rivers, in general, is not feasible technically due to several reasons like non-sustainability, non-availability of vast land required for the disposal of dredged material etc.
Desilting of rivers in vulnerable reaches may be undertaken based on model study, if it is found techno-economical viable. Cost effective measures for removal of drainage congestion in specific reaches of rivers for channel capacity improvement and navigation purposes are formulated and implemented by concerned States/ agencies as per requirement. The Union Government renders assistance to States which is technical, advisory, catalytic and promotional in nature.
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has issued Sustainable Sand Mining Guidelines, 2016 and Enforcement & Monitoring Guidelines for Sand Mining, 2020 for matters related to sand mining.
This information was given by the Minister of State for Jal Shakti, Shri Bishweswar Tudu in a written reply in Rajya Sabha today.
Ministry of Road Transport & Highways
Suggestions invited for amending Motor Vehicle Rules regarding compliance of emission and noise standards
Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has invited suggestions and comments from all stake holders including general public on the proposed amendment in the Motor Vehicle Rules regarding compliance to Emission and Noise Standards. A Notification to this effect has been issued on the 11th last, which can be seen at www.morth.gov.in.
The Draft Notification G.S.R 292 dated 11th May 2020 is regarding revision of FORM 22, Road worthiness Certificate for compliance to Emission and Noise Standards, issued by the manufacturer or importer or registered E-rickshaw or E-cart association in case of E-rickshaw or E- cart. This form has amalgamated the existing two tables to a single table for the sake of simplicity and added some pollutant parameters in line with next stage emission norms.
The suggestions or comments in this respect can be sent to the Joint Secretary , Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Transport Bhavan, Parliament Street, New Delhi-110001  upto 10th of June, 2020.